Trump nominates US ambassador to Georgia

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Thursday, September 5

Kelly C. Degnan will replace Ian Kelly as the US ambassador to Georgia.

Georgian Foreign Minister Zalkaliani welcomes the decision and stresses that the US is Georgia's main strategic partner and cooperation with it is as close as ever.

President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate Kelly C. Degnan of California, to be new US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia. The next step in the process is a public hearing, time and date to be determined, held by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Degnan has 25 years of diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award. Degnan is currently a political adviser to the Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe – United States Naval Forces Africa.

Prior to this, Kelly Degnan served as Deputy Chief of Mission for the US Diplomatic Mission in Italy deputy executive secretary of the Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Kosovo.

During her 25-year diplomatic career, Kelly Degnan served as a political counselor to the US Mission to NATO in Brussels and Deputy Political Adviser to the US Embassy in Turkey. She was also a civilian representative of the American Combat Brigade in Afghanistan.

Kelly Degnan also served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of State and the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Department of State.

Candidate for US Ambassador to Georgia is a Doctor of Philosophy. Degnan earned a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center. Ms. Degnan earned the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award. She speaks multiple languages such as Italian, French, Turkish and Urdu.

The post of US Ambassador to Georgia has been vacant for more than a year. Previous Ambassador Ian Kelly announced his retirement once his mission in Georgia concluded at the end of March 2018, bringing an end to his 33-year career – He was appointed to the post during President Barack Obama’s term.

Ambassador Ross Wilson arrived to take up duties as charge d’affaires at the American Embassy in Tbilisi on 8 November 2018. He left the country in May and since, Elizabeth Rood has served as an acting US ambassador.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Davit Zalkaliani welcomed the decision and vowed close cooperation with the new ambassador after all mandatory procedures are completed.

“She is the first US ambassador to Georgia under Trump’s administration,” noted Zalkaliani and highlighted that the US is a strategic partner of Georgia and the close cooperation will continue.